1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic lock and money control systems such as used by merchants to collect and dispense money during business operation, and to a system capable of stand alone operation as well as expanded networking and control of multiple electronic lock and money collection/dispensing units, and more particularly to money tubes used with associated stand alone or networked dispensing units.
2. Background Art
Generally, because merchants tend to maintain only a minimal amount of money in cash registers, accumulated money/cash is periodically transferred to an on-site safe or drop box. This reduces the amount of money present at a cash register and potential exposure to loss due to robbery. Some safes include electronic money verification and change dispensing units which allow the safes to not only receive money, but to provide some form of automation for dispensing money as well as making change. As a result, money can be exchanged for smaller, denominations and coins, or deposited for security and accounting.
Dispensing units dispense money in money tubes. The tubes are held by a tube rack within the dispensing unit. An existing money tube consists of a clear plastic tube and a plastic snap cap. The caps sometimes come off during the process of insertion into the tube rack, come off while in the tube rack, and come off during dispensing from the tube rack. This results in jams, misfeeds, and causes miscounts. There is a need for an improved money tube that does not allow the tube to come apart while in the tube rack columns, and that is unlikely to separate during insertion and dispensing.
In the case of large business establishments, numerous safe units may be located at various locations throughout the store. Unfortunately, management, accounting, and oversight/maintenance of each machine requires long and tedious efforts. In addition, integration of additional units into an existing business generally requires a large expenditure to replace existing units for more sophisticated units. As a result, a further need exists for an electronic lock and money control system and corresponding system units capable of cost effectively integrating additional system units, as well as provide more efficient system management and accounting operations to improve overall safekeeping, receiving, dispensing and accounting of money within the system.